Lab’s angry itch
In association with
Our vet offers his advice
QMy two-year-old neutered female labrador retriever developed an angry-looking red patch of inflamed skin on the side of her face, near her ear. My vet is treating it as a “hot spot” caused by her scratching due to an ear infection. Are these common and do they heal quickly?
AHot spots are very common, especially in the warmer months. They are also known as acute moist dermatitis, surface pyoderma and summer eczema (an older term).
How quickly they respond to treatment depends on whether underlying causes can be found, as these are always present.
Your vet has established the most likely cause in your dog and I would expect a rapid response to treatment – hopefully just a matter of a few weeks.
Where the lesions occur can give a clue to the underlying cause.
Ear infections commonly cause scratching on the side of the face, and fleas (an important underlying cause) often cause scratching, rubbing and licking near the tail base.
Just the outermost layer of the skin is affected, and bacteria are not always involved.
If the underlying cause is treated and the dog is prevented from getting at the hot spot, many cases get better very quickly.
Often, a collar is used to prevent self-trauma while the lesion is healing, and there are a variety of anti-itch treatments such as sprays or ointments.
Antibiotics are not always necessary unless a deeper infection results, perhaps due to a delay in seeking help.
QMy friend’s cat recently had a blood pressure check as part of a general examination. I am now wondering whether I should have the same measurement for my nine-year-old neutered male cat?
AI strongly recommend that you ask your vet to check for high blood pressure (hypertension) in your cat. Hypertension has many similarities to the condition in people, often going undetected for quite a long time until something goes wrong.
It’s far better to detect it early before severe problems arise. These include damage to the kidneys, heart, eyes and central nervous system.
Possible results of this damage are heart failure, blindness due to retinal detachment, cognitive decline and kidney failure.
Two important and common diseases are additionally associated with hypertension: excessive production of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) and chronic kidney failure.
The latest research shows that 20% of cats older than nine years are hypertensive and, in the majority of cases, their owners are not aware.
The point of an annual general examination, such as the one your friend’s cat had, is to pick up common diseases such as hyperthyroidism and kidney disease and to start treatment as early as possible.
Diagnosing hypertension early aims to prevent the potentially disastrous diseases that I mentioned.
There is no doubt that treatment prolongs life. Modern treatment in pill form is very effective in reducing blood pressure and is given for life.
David Grant MBE was a vet at the RSPCA Harmsworth hospital for animals Email questions to him at pamperedpets@reachplc.com